Shloka 31

Kṛṣṇa Enters Mathurā: City Splendor, Devotees’ Reception, and the Washerman’s Fate

Devanagari script

ऊचु: पौरा अहो गोप्यस्तप: किमचरन्महत् । या ह्येतावनुपश्यन्ति नरलोकमहोत्सवौ ॥ ३१ ॥

Transliteration

ūcuḥ paurā aho gopyas tapaḥ kim acaran mahat yā hy etāv anupaśyanti nara-loka-mahotsavau

Translation

マトゥラーの女たちは言った。「ああ、ゴーピーたちはどれほど大いなる苦行を積んだのだろう。人間界の最大の歓喜の祭りであるクリシュナとバララーマを、たびたび拝することができるのだから。」

Synonyms

• ऊचुः: they said
• ऊचुः: क्रिया (कर्तृ-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect/परोक्षभूत), प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• पौराः: the townspeople
• पौराः: कर्ता (कर्तृकारक)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पौर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• अहो: oh!
• अहो: सम्बोधन/भावसूचक (exclamatory particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अहो (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विस्मयादिबोधक निपात (interjection/particle)

• गोप्यः: O gopīs!
• गोप्यः: सम्बोधन (सम्बोधनकारक; vocative sense though form = nominative plural)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोपी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• तपः: austerity
• तपः: कर्म (कर्मकारक)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• किम्: what
• किम्: कर्म (कर्मकारक)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• अचरन्: did (they) perform
• अचरन्: क्रिया (कर्तृ-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √चर् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• महत्: great
• महत्: विशेषण (कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणं तपः-शब्दस्य

• याः: who (they)
• याः: कर्ता (कर्तृकारक)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

• हि: indeed
• हि: सम्बन्धसूचक (particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic/causal particle)

• एतौ: these two
• एतौ: कर्म (कर्मकारक)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, द्विवचन

• अनुपश्यन्ति: they behold/see
• अनुपश्यन्ति: क्रिया (कर्तृ-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनु+√पश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद; उपसर्गः अनु-

• नर-लोक-मह-उत्सवौ: the great festival of the human world (the two as such)
• नर-लोक-मह-उत्सवौ: कर्म (कर्मकारक; एतौ इत्यस्य विशेषण/अप्पोजिशन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक) + लोक (प्रातिपदिक) + महत् (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्सव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, द्विवचन; समासः: नरलोकस्य महोत्सवौ (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष) / महान्तौ उत्सवौ (कर्मधारय-भाव)

Characters & Entities

• Gopīs
• Kṛṣṇa
• Balarāma

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about the gopīs’ spiritual merit?

This verse shows that even the people of Mathurā assume the gopīs must have performed extraordinary tapasya, because they receive the rare blessing of directly beholding Kṛṣṇa (and Balarāma), implying the gopīs’ supreme devotional fortune.

Why did the townspeople call Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma “the great festival of the human world” (naraloka-mahotsavau)?

Seeing Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma is portrayed as the highest joy and auspiciousness for humanity—like a living, overflowing celebration—because their presence brings spiritual delight and divine grace.

Practical application: what does this verse teach about receiving divine darśana in modern life?

It encourages sincere devotional practice (bhakti) and purification—since true “darśana” is not merely visual, but the heart’s ability to recognize and cherish the Divine through steady spiritual discipline and devotion.